Little Miss Ragdoll
by despommes
Summary: There is a new girl at skool. She's pretty, dark, and different. Almost perfect. But no one can be perfect. Everyone has their flaws...
1. The New Girl

God, she was beautiful.

Dib suddenly noticed that his mouth was agape. He quickly closed it and blushed slightly, since Gaz had noticed. She sighed dejectedly and returned to her Gameslave. Dib ignored her and returned his attention to the new girl.

She looked so sad. But that didn't phase how beautiful she was. She had long, red hair that curled slightly at the bottom. Her skin was pale white and she was thin and quite gangly. Even from a distance, he could see that her eyes were a pale greenish-grey, lined with smoky grey eyeliner. Her lips were a pale pink color, shining with lipgloss. They had a slight pout to them. Her nose was small and cute, turning up to the sky. She had high cheekbones and was just a bit shorter than Dib.

"Stop staring, stupid," Gaz said. "You look like an idiot."

Dib sighed and turned to face the other direction.

x Page Break x

Sally sighed. Her fellow pupils look fairly unintelligent. Her hope for friends soon faded. How could she become accommodated with idiots such as these? Her patience was already being tried by her father. He had insisted they move to a smaller city, as New York had simply become to unhealthy for his only daughter. Still, Sally had wished she could have stayed and remained sick. At least her friends would have come to visit her at home.

She leaned against the cold brick wall of the skool, slowly sliding downwards to the ground. Her long ragdoll-red hair was gathered in one tress and put over her shoulder, touching her collarbone. She clutched the sleeves of her track jacket, staring at her purple and red striped knee-socks, following the stripes down to her heeled, platform mary-jane shoes. Her long black skirt was spread out across her knees, which were bent, her feet on the ground. Sally played with the crystal pendant on her black velvet choker. The only thing she had to remind her of her best friend.

There she sat. Sally Lacrymosa, a thirteen year old girl, in all her ragdoll-like glory. She watched the idiotic children as they ran about, tormenting the ones they believed freaks. Well, they'd just attained a new one. But, she would not be tormented. She would make sure of it herself.

One particular boy they tormented stood out to Sally. She raised her eyebrows in pity as two boys descended upon him. One shoved him, causing him to fall to the ground. He shook his head to clear the dizziness and fixed his glasses. A small crown had gathered around them, some laughing. The other pulled him up by his scythe-like hair. Sally gasped in horror at his cruelty. He dropped the boy, once again letting him fall to the ground. Sally had had enough. She stood up and marched towards the crowd.

x Page Break x

"HEY!"

It was a deafening shout. Dib winced slightly and looked to see where it came from, blinking when he saw who had shrieked.

"Just what the hell did this kid do to you?" she asked the boys. It was the new girl.

The two just blinked at her, wondering what had convinced her to defend _Dib._

"Answer me!" she said, her voice like an angered pixie's cry.

"He's a freak!" a boy shouted. At once, the new girl looked at him, her eyes like a daggers.

"Oh really?" she said. "Then why aren't you in a freak show, seeing how unappealing to the eye you are."

The boy went silent, his gaze falling to the ground. The girl walked towards Dib and held out her hand. He took it hesitantly, allowing her to help him up. Why was she helping him?

She turned to face the two boys that were tormenting him. "If you two ever hurt him again, trust me. You'll regret it."

The bell rang, and everyone ran away, intimidated by the girl's anger. She looked at Dib and smiled before going towards the skool doors.

"Wait!" he called after her. She turned back. "I'm Dib," he said, holding out his hand. She shook it, smiling again.

"Sally. Lacrymosa." Dib felt his cheeks burn as she giggled.

"Which class do you have?" he asked.

"Um..." Sally looked down at her schedule. "Ms. Bitters."

"Cool!" Dib said. "I mean – yeah, I have that class too." Sally giggled. Dib once again felt his face become hot.

"Well then, Dib," she said cheerily. "Would you mind escorting me to class?"

Dib smiled slightly. She tilted her head slightly, just making her even cuter. Her smile was so wonderful. It made him want to smile as well.

"I guess."


	2. Chess Games

Reviews? Constructive criticism? A new Jack Skellington pen? My last one broke. Read on, my lovelies!

**Chess Games**

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Sally did her best to follow Dib through the crowd of students. She dodged flying notebooks and the uncaring elbows of other people, desperately trying not to be decapitated by the others' carelessness. Dib led her to a classroom that was mostly empty.

"I can't guarantee that you'll make friends fast, seeing as you helped me back there," Dib told her.

"What do you mean?" Sally asked. "You seem really nice."

Dib's face glowed with the compliment. "Thanks," he murmured. "Well, they think I'm a freak because I'm into the paranormal."

Sally's face lit up. "Really? That must be really interesting! Do you study ghosts?"

"Sometimes. I've never actually been somewhere that was haunted." Dib smiled. He thought Sally was going to back away from him. But she seemed... interested. "Are you interested too?"

"Well, not exactly," she said. "I just think it's really cool that you like that kind of stuff."

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Just before the late bell rang, Zim walked into class, horrified to see someone in his seat. Not just anyone, a new girl. She looked at him, a thin eyebrow arched and her hands folded on the desk.

"WHO IS THIS SITTING IN _ZIM'S _SEAT?!!!!" he yelled. There was a silence after his outburst. It was shortly broken by the girl's snicker.

"I'm Sally," she said. Zim almost cringed at her voice. She didn't sound like the other human worm babies.

"You dare mock ZIM?" Zim said, an angry hiss in his voice.

"I wasn't mocking you," she said coolly. "I'm sorry if I offended you."

"I do not accept your apology!" Zim folded his arms across his chest and turned his back to her.

"Zim, go sit in the back and shut up!" Ms. Bitters said, well, bitterly.

"Yes, Ms. Bitters!" Zim walked towards the back row, glaring at Sally as he passed her. She smiled in a sickly-sweet way.

There was something different about that girl. Zim was actually sort of... intimidated by her. She, unlike any other of the humans, actually looked physically appealing to him. Strange.

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Dib saw Zim watching her as he passed. The class didn't exactly have assigned seats, but Zim seemed to have thought of that desk as his own, since he was usually in the room before anyone else. But, he was unusually late.

Sally smiled and crossed one leg over the other. Her hands were folded in her lap. She was so much different from anyone else in the class. So proper, so sophisticated, so... politically correct. What she said actually sounded civilized.

"Sally Lacrymosa, report to the nurse's office at once."

A pained look was on Sally's face as she took the hall pass. She took a deep breath as she opened the classroom door and left.

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_Last Bell of the Day_

"Hey, Sally!"

Sally turned around, smiling as Dib came running up behind her.

"Hey, Dib." There was a worried look on his face.

"Hey, what happened in the nurse's office?" Dib asked.

"I just had to get my medicine."

"For what?"

Sally smiled sadly. "I have to take it. It calms me down. when it wears off, I have to take it again." She looked a little scared. "I really feel uncomfortable talking about it."

"Oh," Dib said. "I'm sorry I brought it up."

"Oh, it's okay." Sally smiled. "No harm done."

Dib smiled, glad that she didn't feel bad anymore. The two walked together, a small silence between them. Not one of those uncomfortable silences, but a nice silence. Just glad to be in each other's company.

"Are you headed this way?" Dib asked.

"Yeah. I live on Dreamcatcher Lane."

"Really?" Dib said. "So do I!"

"Really?" Sally smiled again. "That's so cool!"

"So, you must be the new guys that moved in the house a few houses down."

"I guess so," Sally said laughing slightly. Dib could feel his cheeks flush. "Would you like to come over?"

"To your house?" Dib asked. Sally nodded. "Well, I guess. My dad isn't home and I highly doubt my sister would care that I was gone."

"Great!" Sally took his hand. "Come on!"

While Sally walked even faster, Dib was still trying to get over the fact that she was holding his hand. He could feel the pleasant butterflies rising in his stomach, making him want to giggle stupidly. But, he held it in and tried to make up what pace he had lost while daydreaming.

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Sally's house was pretty big. Her room was black and orange, and it reminded Dib of Halloween. She had a black, white, and orange striped bedspread with matching pillows and curtains. There were band posters on her walls, along with a few movie posters. She had a desk with a computer in the corner, her own bathroom, and a walk-in closet. He was surprised to see a beat-up stuffed Dolphin on her bed, nestled between the fluffy pillows.

"This is Scarlet," Sally said, picking up the toy. "My mom gave her to me." There was a sad look on her face. "She died a few years ago. She had cancer."

"Oh, I'm so sorry," Dib said. Sally took a deep breath. "My mom died too," he told her.

"You must be really sad." Sally gave him a sympathetic look.

"I don't really remember her. She died in a car crash when I was five." Dib looked up, trying to be cheerful.

"I'm sorry we have to dwell on such depressing thoughts," Sally said. "I propose we think of something else."

Dib nodded. "So..." He tried to think of something to say. "What do you like to do in your spare time?"

"Well..." Sally put Scarlet back in her place amongst the pillows. "I like to draw. I also like to write poetry. Music is nice too."

"When my dad's home, I help him in the lab sometimes." Dib sat down next to her. "He's away a lot, being a famous scientist and stuff."

"You're dad's a scientist?" Sally said. "Wow. My dad's a lawyer," she said laughing. "I tried to read a book on law once. Halfway into the first page, I tried to hang myself with the wire from the lamp."

Dib laughed. "Is your dad at work now?"

"Yeah." Sally crossed her legs, Indian style, on the bed. "He's back in New York, working on his last case up there. He's flying in tomorrow morning."

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"I'm thirsty, are you thirsty?" Sally stood up from the chess game.

"A little." Dib stood up with her and followed her down the stairs.

"My douche of a brother won't be home until tomorrow," Sally said. "College." Dib nodded.

In the kitchen, Sally began to look in random cabinets. "I really don't know where the hell we put anything, so just start looking in random places."

Dib opened a few cabinets. One appeared to be a medicine cabinet. There was a bottle of pills. His curiosity getting the better of him, Dib looked at the label.

_Sally Lacrymosa_

_147, Dreamcatcher LN_

_Lithium_

_Taken by mouth every 6 hours_

'Lithium?' Dib thought. 'Why would she be taking lithium?'

"Find anything?" Sally asked.

"No," Dib lied. He put the bottle back and closed the cabinet door.

"I found some water. It's hot, but it will work." Sally threw a bottle to Dib. He caught it clumsily.

"You know, it's kind of late." He looked at his watch. 6:00 pm. "I think I'll go home."

"All right." Sally flashed him a dazzling smile. If she had not been there, Dib would have melted into a puddle that moment.

"See you tomorrow!" he called as he walked through the door.

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"Where were you?!" Gaz questioned. "I had to do my own homework!"

"I was at a friend's."

Gaz snickered. "You? A friend? Right." She returned to her Gameslave, ignoring her brother.

Dib went up to his room. He could not get Sally off of his mind. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw her pretty face, smiling her dazzling smile. She was so wonderful. But, he couldn't help but think she was hiding something. He had never heard anything about someone taking lithium as a medication. Usually it was used in batteries for high-tech devices. He'd ask dad the next time he saw the module screen.

Dib lay in his bed, looking at the moon from the window beside his bed. Everything was silent. Slowly, he fell asleep, dreaming of a girl with red hair and a pretty smile.

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Zim lazed about on the couch. Gir was in the kitchen, making waffles. The television was on, but Zim was not paying attention. He was quite annoyed with the fact that he could not get that new human girl out of his brain. Her name was Sally. She was different from the other humans. How? Zim didn't know. She just was. Different.

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And so concludes chapter two! Please review, darlings. I'd like to thank the people who reviewed me on my last chapter. Thank you for reading!


	3. A Promise

Okay, part three. I'd like to thank the people who've reviewed so far, it really means a lot to me!

**-X-X-X-**

**A Promise**

**-X-X-X-**

"Dad?" Dib asked the figure of his father on the computer module.

"Yes, son?" it asked.

"What exactly _is _lithium?"

"Lithium," Professor Membrane began, "is a chemical element with the symbol **Li** and atomic number 3. It is in group 1 of the periodic table, among the alkali metals and is the lightest solid element. Lithium in its pure form does not occur naturally on Earth. It is a soft, silver white metal. Lithium reacts with oxygen from the air to form white lithium oxide. It therefore has to be stored under the cover of oil to stop this oxidation reaction from occurring. It tarnishes and oxidizes very rapidly in air and water. Lithium metal is used primarily in heat-transfer applications, batteries, mainly cell phone and camera batteries, household appliances such as toasters and microwaves, and in high performance alloys such as those used for aircraft construction."

Dib looked at him. "Okay." He blinked. "Does it have any medical uses?"

"Yes. It is mostly used as a mood stabilizing drug. Doctors use it to treat disorders such as bi-polar mood disorder, severe depression, and schizophrenia. Sometimes even migraines."

"Schizophrenia?" Dib asked. "You mean split personalities?"

"No," Professor Membrane corrected. "Schizophrenia is often confused with disassociative identity disorder. Schizophrenia itself is quite different. It actually is a psychiatric diagnosis that describes a mental disorder characterized by impairments in the perception or expression of reality and by significant social or occupational dysfunction. A person experiencing schizophrenia is typically characterized as demonstrating disorganized thinking, and as experiencing delusions or hallucinations, in particular auditory hallucinations."

Dib nodded. "Thanks, dad." With that, he walked up the stairs toward his room.

**-X-X-X-**

Sally ran to her room, her breathing heavy and labored. They were back, and they were coming after her.

She shut and locked the door and sat on the bed, clutching Scarlet. Lightning flashed outside her window, making her cringe with terror.

"One, two, three, four, five –"

There was banging on the door, followed by a shrill, high pitched cry. The doorknob rattled until Sally was sure it would fall off.

"Six, seven, eight, nine –"

Her voice wavered as she held back the terrified scream that had welled up in her throat. Hot, wet tears brimmed the wells of her eyes as she thought to keep them back. They could not see her cry. It only made them stronger.

"Ten, eleven, twelve, thirteen –"

The door burst open. A tall, thin figure stood in her doorway, black cloak on with hood raised. It's piercing red eyes made Sally feel vulnerable and completely unhidden. It could see her very soul.

"Fourteen, fifteen, sixteen, seventeen –"

The tears fell from her eyes, cascading down her cheeks, staining her white skin. The thing drew closer. Sally could feel her body trembling with fear uncontrollably. The creature's shrill cries filled the air, chilling the girl to her very core. It nearly froze the blood in her veins.

"Eighteen, nineteen, twenty –"

The thing was right in front of her. It raised a cold, dead, skeleton hand. Sally's breath was frozen in her lungs, her eyes shut tight. She couldn't move, couldn't speak.

The scream that had been stored in her chest erupted from her mouth in a violent storm of shrill sound. The creature stepped backwards, losing its concentration. Running footsteps came down the hallway.

"Sally!"

She opened her eyes. The creature had disappeared.

Sally's father stood in the doorway. When he saw Sally's shaking, weeping form, he rushed to her aid. Victor Lacrymosa held his daughter close to him. She cried into his suit jacket. He didn't care. Gently, he lifted her up and carried her downstairs. He went to look for her medicine.

"It's okay, Sally," he cooed. "It wasn't real. Just a hallucination."

Sally held her arms, hugging herself. She couldn't tell if they were real or not anymore. They were so terrifying, it didn't seem to matter to her.

Mr. Lacrymosa brought her a large, light blue pill and a glass of jasmine tea. Sally popped the pill into her mouth and washed it down with the tea. Her father smiled at her.

"See? It's okay. Nothing will hurt you." He put an arm on her shoulder. "I promise."

**-X-X-X-**

So, what did you think? Reviews are always lovely, sweethearts. A lot would be greatly appreciated!


	4. Hold Me

I'd like to thank TicTac and MissDomaYusset for all the reviews they've given me. It makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside!

**-X-X-X-**

**Title**

**-X-X-X-**

Dib sighed, walking down the sidewalk. Alone. Sally had not been in school for almost two days now. It scared him. Had something happened to her?

The stack of papers in his hand shook slightly in the wind as its coldness nipped at the skin that was exposed to the air. Dib was sure he had heard a scream from this house just a few nights earlier. That made him all the more worried for Sally. But, her father said the she had just had a small virus and would be back soon.

As he approached the front door, something rustled the leaves in the tree beside the window. A short scream soon followed as a green and crimson figure came tumbling out of the branches. There was a loud _thud_ shortly followed by cursing.

"Zim?!" Dib hissed, his eyes narrowing. "What are you doing here?!"

"Dibworm!" Zim smirked. He quickly regained his stature and stood up straight.

"What are you doing at Sally's window?!"

**-X-X-X-**

What was Zim doing at Sally's window? Well, actually, he was monitoring the goings on. Ever since he had heard the scream, the ear-splitting scream, he was sure that something was not normal about the Sally girl. Something about that scream was not completely human.

He had seen them come after her. Although he was not entirely sure what they were or why they wanted her, he could tell they did not mean well. He had been watching to try and study the situation. He wasn't trying to make sure she was all right, where would you get that idea?! It's not like he cared about her... No, not at all!

"Something about that girl is not right," he told the Dib. "I believe she is very important. For what, Zim does not know. But something bad might happen to her. And if it does, I believe that none of us will be safe."

"What are you talking about?!" Dib asked. "Stay away from her! If I catch you near her again, I'll make sure you never live to see another day!"

**-X-X-X-**

Dib walked into the house, shutting the door in Zim's face. A scowl was on his face. Why did he feel so protective of Sally? The thought of Zim just looking at her made his blood hot and his eyes burn with anger.

"Hello?" he called. Sally's dad was at work. It should just be her in the house. Dib climbed the stairs to her room, knocking on the door. "Sally?"

He did not get an answer. A spark of worry ignited in his heart. He mentally reprimanded himself for it, but he opened her door without permission. The girl was lying on her bed, a blanket over her small form. Dib edged closer to her.

What he saw froze the breath in his lungs.

There were three gashes on Sally's cheek. Her skin was a pale blue color and her face was even paler than usual. She felt ice cold to the touch. Dib felt her pulse, feeling it beat weakly. He had to get her warm, fast. Picking her up, Dib carried her downstairs and laid her on the couch. He looked through linen closets, grabbing blankets. Once he found five, Dib carried them and wrapped Sally in the warm blankets.

"What happened to you?" he asked, not expecting an answer. Gently, he wrapped his arms around Sally's ice cold body.

**-X-X-X-**

Sally felt the warmth of someone else. She dared not open her eyes, for fear it would startle the one holding her, ending her blissful feeling of warmth. She couldn't help but bury her face into the other person. They were so warm, so soft. Their grip on her became tighter. Gentle sobs escaped her lips as she remembered what had just happened to her.

"Sally?"

She heard Dib's voice, soft and comforting. It soothed her soul, making her shortly forget the terror that she had just gone through. But, as soon as the sound stopped reaching her ears, she remembered the fear she felt.

"What happened?" he gently asked.

"Hold me," she begged. "Please."

Dib held her closer to him. She buried her face into his neck, and he could feel her hot tears on his skin. He stroked her long, red hair, trying to calm her down. What she had gone through must have been terrible to leave her like this.

"They... They won't leave me alone," she whimpered.

"Who?" he asked. "Who did this to you?"

"The messengers," she choked, sobs welling up in her throat. "They came for me. Again."

"Messengers?" Dib looked confused. "What's going on?"

"They come... Every night. When I don't have... my lithium."

"Lithium?"

"It's the only thing that keeps them away." She wiped the tears from her eyes. "When it wears off, and I forget about it, they find me. Everyone else says that they can't see them. They think I'm crazy." She sobbed into Dib's shoulder. "I didn't ask for this!" she cried.

"For what?" Dib asked. "Sally, what's wrong?"

"They want me." She swallowed back the tears that were coming. "They need me, to come back. They need my soul. My gift."

Dib almost asked her what she meant. But he held back. She didn't need him interviewing her. She was traumatized. So he comforted her. He held her shaking form, whispering comforts. He would try and find out later, but now was not the time. Sally needed someone there for her. And Dib was the only one.

**-X-X-X-**

What do you think, dears? You could always tell me in a review, you know. Hint hint, wink wink. Thank you for reading, sweethearts!


	5. Halloween

Reviews make me feel very nice! I'm so happy with the ones I've been getting!

**-X-X-X-**

**Halloween**

**-X-X-X-**

"So, these things come after you when you don't have any lithium in your system?"

"Yes," Sally said. She was huddled up on the couch, wrapped in a blanket, hugging her knees. "You don't believe me, do you?"

Dib looked into her eyes sadly. "I don't know what to believe," he said softly.

Sally looked down. "Sometimes, I don't even believe it myself." She bit her lip. "Sometimes I do think they're just hallucinations. Maybe I am crazy. Maybe they are just symptoms of a mental illness that occur when I don't have any medication pumping through my veins. But, then again..." Her hand touched her face, feeling the gashes along her skin. They would become scars. "Can hallucinations do this?" she asked, looking at the blood on her fingers. "Can figments of the imagination draw blood? Can they harm you? Can imaginary monsters actually submit physical force on someone?" She looked at Dib. "Everyone else thinks that I do it myself. That I hurt myself without knowing it and blame it on the delusions."

Dib felt so sorry for her. Here she was, suffering, traumatized, and no one would believe her or help her. Somehow, he could relate to her. No one ever believed him when he told them about the paranormal. And there was living proof right in front of him.

"Why do they want you?" he asked.

"They need me. To bring themselves back." She looked down, a tear hanging off of her long lashes. "Long ago, they were banished to the realm of the dead. They were called Shadowhaunts. Now, they walk amongst us, unable do interfere with us. Shadows of what they once were. But, they can come back. They need me. I have a special power that they can use to complete the prophecy."

"Power?" Dib said, looking into Sally's eyes. "What do you mean by a power?"

"I have a gift. I can see things other people can't. I'm psychic." Dib watched her bring her hair over her shoulder in one long tress. "I can see ghosts. Spirits. The messengers. And they need that."

"Why?"

"Because I tie the link between the two worlds." She looked up at him. "The world of the living, and the world of the dead. They need me to open a link between them so they can come back." Dib could see the weariness in her eyes. He wanted to tell her to rest, but she needed to tell someone. "If they come back, the world of the living is doomed. They will enslave us. They killed my mother." She let out a shuddering breath, holding her head in her hands.

Dib put a hand on her shoulder. "I wish there was something I could do to help."

**-X-X-X-**

"IT'S HALLOWEEN!!!!" Gir yelled, bouncing up and down. Zim rubbed his temples.

"SILENCE, GIR!!!" he yelled. Gir stopped yelling, but continued to bounce up and down. Zim knew about this Halloween. Children would dress up in costumes and run door to door asking for candy. The skool was having a costume party, and he planned on attending to watch the Sally human. She still interested Zim, and it was starting to frighten him. She was a _human_ and he was... No, he was NOT obsessed with her!

Zim's costume was ingenious, in his eyes. While looking for costume ideas, he found a rather interesting one called _Frankenstein._ The scheme was rather simple, a monster made up of different body parts from dead humans. He had just drawn a scar on his forehead, put on some tall shows, and glued some bolts on the collar of a green turtleneck sweater. Simple.

Now, if he could just not decapitate himself while walking in these shoes...

**-X-X-X-**

Sally looked in the mirror, quite proud of her costume. She had made it herself. Her long, red hair had been put in many small braids to make it look like it was made of yarn. She made her dress by patching different pieces of cloth together, all either army green, dirty yellow, salmon, or pale pink. There were different designs, some checkered, some spotted, others just solid colors. She painted her exposed skin a moonlight blue, drawing small stitch-like patterns in places such as around her wrists, on her legs, up her collarbone and neck, and many stitches on her face. She had false eyelashes and had painted her lips blood red. For shoes, she had small ankle-cut black boots with black and white striped socks that hung over them.

Halloween was her favorite day of the year, and she always went all out. She was a ragdoll this year. It was the best costume she had ever put together.

Once she was satisfied, she grabbed a lightweight, brown-colored jacket and walked outside into the cold October air. Dib was waiting for her at a mailbox, dressed as a vampire. He smiled when he saw her, fake fangs bared.

"Very creative costume," he said. Sally smiled cheekily.

"I know. Made it myself."

While they walked to school, they watched the younger children knock on doors to get candy. That used to be Sally's favorite holiday tradition. Her mother would take her and her brother trick-or-treating every year. Her father would help them count and sort the candy they had collected at the end of the night. That was, until Sally's mother had died. The family stopped going trick-or-treating. Although Sally swore it was because she lost her interest in candy, it was really just too painful to continue the yearly tradition without her mother.

"Wanna teepee someone's house after the party?" Sally asked. Now that was one tradition she and her friends had kept alive. The whole reason the skool was even having a party was to keep kids busy from wreaking hell upon the town.

Dib smirked. "I know the perfect one."

**-X-X-X-**

At the skool, the gym was filled with students in costumes. There were fog machines and different colored strobe lights going and Rob Zombie was playing. To Sally, it was perfect. Rob Zombie was one of her favorites.

Dib, who had been sleeping most of that day, thought something different. The strobe lights were giving him a slight headache and he was choking a little from the fog machines. The music was good, but it was very loud.

"If you get to the middle of the dance floor, it won't be that bad!" Sally shouted over the music. She took Dib's hand and guided him through the crowd of people moving to the beat. A few people were crowd-surfing towards the band playing Rob Zombie covers. They were going to get themselves killed.

"Goddamn, there's a mosh pit!" he heard Sally say. Wait a minute, weren't mosh pits dangerous?!

**-X-X-X-**

Thanks for reading, loves. I will always accept reviews, remember that, dears!


	6. Beautiful Eyes

**Well, I don't really have anything else to say except thank you to the following people: Ing Rimescale, Mommaleasy, and TicTac. They've reviewed on nearly every chapter so far, and my warm and fuzzy feeling fails to cease! Reviews are just so nice! Well, please enjoy the following chapter I have prepared for you.**

**-X-X-X-**

**Title**

**-X-X-X-**

Sally guided Dib through the crowd of people. It wasn't a very hardcore mosh pit, people were just crowd surfing and jumping up and down. It didn't even look dangerous. Sally knew Dib was probably terrified out of him mind, so she led him to a small patch of the crowd where people were just dancing, not that close to the stage.

"See, it's not that bad!" she yelled over the sound. Dib tried to catch his breath. Sally began to dance to the music, knowing the lyrics to one of her favorite 69 Eyes songs.

"_Never say die!_

_Leave me alone in the night!_

_Keep me away from the light!_

_Razorblade cuts the lie,_

_Never say, never say die!"_

"Dance with me!" she said to Dib, her face beaming. With smile like that, how could he say no?

**-X-X-X-**

Zim walked inside the skool, already hearing the loud noise that these humans called "music." He was dreading what it would be like once he got in the gym.

What he saw almost knocked him out cold.

It was nothing like he'd ever seen. Lights moved in such complicated patterns, he could not follow them. There was fog everywhere, with frightening decorations that cast an eerie shadow every time the lights hit them. The music was the most overwhelming. It was loud, unrelenting, and terrifying. The words were like a horror movie script and the melodies chilled Zim to the very bone.

There were people jumping all about the room, clustered up to the stage where the music was coming from. Others were spread out on the dance floor, moving in time with the music. One, he saw, was Sally. She looked frighteningly beautiful, her crimson hair hanging in her face in small braids, nimble limbs moving to the music. Her skin was a pale blue and there were small scars visible, like someone had sewn her together. What she was dressed up as, Zim didn't know. But he liked it.

Zim's eyes followed her every move. But, after admiring her for a time, he saw something that sent his blood boiling and his teeth to clench. The Dibworm was dancing with her. It made Zim want to destroy him even more, and he didn't even think that was possible. His fists were clenched so hard, he could feel the flesh in his palms fall asleep as his claw-like fingers drove themselves into the skin.

Why did Dib have to ruin everything for him? Not only had he foiled many of his plans, humiliated him in front of the whole skool, and taken every bit of peace he had with himself, but now he had the only being that he had ever felt this way towards. Even if she was human.

In an angry storm, Zim walked outside the gym and towards the restrooms. He had too cool off.

**-X-X-X-**

"I'm going to get some water!" Sally told Dib.

"I'll come with you!" he said.

The two walked out of the gym. There was a concession stand right outside the door. Sally got out a few dollars and walked.

"Damn," Dib said, holding his teeth. "My fangs are coming out. Be right back." He left her and walked into the bathroom.

Facing the mirror, Dib set to work on putting his fake vampire fangs back on his canine teeth. It was tricky, seeing as there was a special way to putting them on and taking them off. He was too preoccupied to notice the green person standing behind him.

"Having a good time, Dibstink?"

"Zim!" Dib said, turning around to face the alien. Even though his eyes were hidden behind the contacts, he could see the hate welling up in them. "What are you doing here?"

"I came here to enjoy the festivities," Zim said coolly, though Dib knew that was hardly it. "You seem to be enjoying yourself."

Dib could sense the coldness in his voice. "Sally wanted to come to the party, so I went with her. We're leaving in about an hour."

"Ah, the Sally girl." Dib thought he saw Zim's eyes sparkle at the mention of her name.

"What? What's so interesting about her?" he asked.

"You tell me, Dib. I've never even heard her speak, and guess whose fault that is."

It was true. Every time Zim came within a yard of Sally, Dib would lead her away to go somewhere else. He didn't want her anywhere near the alien, afraid he would take her away from him. Sally was the only girl he ever could get close to, and he was not going to let an _alien _take her away from him.

"Stay away from her, Zim!" he said. "She doesn't need you hanging around to make her life miserable!"

"You would know all about making someone's life miserable!" Zim yelled. "You always get in my way, Dib! Always! Every time something even _seems_ to go right for me, you're always there to spoil it! Well, I won't let it happen this time! I'm going to get to Sally, and there's nothing you can do about it!"

Dib lurched forward, fist raised. His knuckles collided with Zim's jaw, sending him sprawling on the ground. A bright, fuchsia liquid oozed from a cut near his mouth. The small alien was positively shaking with rage, the fury bright in his eyes. Just that look was enough to make Dib step back. Zim raised himself to his feet, fists and teeth both clenched. He looked at Dib and pointed a claw-shaped finger at him.

"You'll pay, Dibworm! You will _pay_!"

With that, he walked out of the bathroom in an angry storm.

Dib looked at his hands. His right hand, the one he'd hit Zim with, was bleeding slightly at the knuckles. He quickly wet a paper towel and went to cleaning his wounds.

**-X-X-X-**

"_I'm drained and aching for more,_

_And the devil inside is reading_

_The words of the saddest poem,_

_To be engraved on the stone of my grave."_

The words to the song reached Sally's ears even in the hallways. She clutched the empty water bottle in her hand, growing lonely without Dib with her.

He rushed towards her, a distracted, angry look in his eyes. "We have to leave," he said, taking her hand.

"What – wait!" Sally struggled to keep up with him as she was dragged outside of the skool. "Why do we have to leave, Dib?" she asked.

"I just need to clear something up in my head," he said, stopping his walking for a moment.

"Tell me," Sally said. She looked into his eyes, which forced him to look at hers. Everything that was on his mind at the moment completely deserted him. All that he could focus on was the beautiful, silvery green color of Sally's eyes. He couldn't look away, not that he wanted to or anything like that. She was just so beautiful. He could feel his face coming closer and closer to hers, until they were centimeters apart. Sally didn't seem to mind, however.

Suddenly, the door of the skool doors opened and about five people walked out, laughing and yelling until Dib thought it would burst his eardrums. They spotted the two and gawked.

"Oh my god... Is that DIB?!" one girl yelled.

Dib groaned and walked away at a fast pace, leaving Sally running to catch up with him. She finally caught up with him. "Do you still want to teepee someone's house?" he asked.

"Um, sure," Sally said. Dib was acting strangely, and she it was killing her because she didn't know why.

"Come on," he said, holding out his hand. Sally took it and ran with him to the nearest store.

**-X-X-X-**

After buying about six rolls of toilet paper, Sally followed Dib to a rather deserted cul-de-sac and tied her hair up in a ribbon as she stared at a green house. The lawn gnomes creeped her out more than any weird old guy she'd ever seen.

"Whose house is this?" she asked.

"I don't know," Dib said, "But I always thought it was really weird." He picked up one of his rolls and walked on the sidewalk. "Be careful and don't touch the gnomes," he said. "I've heard this guy has a wicked security system."

Sally nodded. This was really strange. But, she liked strange things.

After about fifteen minutes, Sally had forgotten Dib's warning about the gnomes. There was one part of the house that she was determined to stream, but the roll of paper was being stubborn and wasn't going where she willed it to. Sooner or later, she walked into the gnome, not knowing what she had hit.

Until mechanical arms shot out at her.

Dib could only watch in horror as the gnomes attacked Sally. There was no one around to hear his or her cries for help. They were all out trick-or-treating or just raising hell like they had been.

For the first few, moments, Sally put up a good fight. Her limbs moved nimbly, almost spider-like as she dodged the gnomes' arms as they tried to grab her. Dib ran to her aid, only to be knocked out cold by a stray claw-like, metal hand.

Sally did her best to keep out of reach from the gnomes. She moved her body in all kinds of angles, thanking the martial arts classes she'd taken since she was a child. And the ballet lessons, as she kicked twice as hard as any prized kick boxer.

But, in the end, the gnomes were built to this job. And there were quite a few of them. They held Sally down on the ground. She gasped as a holed appeared in the ground and the gnomes threw her in. A scream was caught in her throat, as she tumbled into the cold, dark tunnel.

But all she could think about was whether Dib was safe or not.

**-X-X-X-**

**Thanks for reading, loves! My lack of updates has been at the blame of severe writer's block and a lot of freaking homework. I'm terribly sorry if this one sucked, but my heart was elsewhere, and I apologize. Please review!**


	7. Tell Sally

**Here you go, loves! New update! (Crowd screams and cheers.) Shut up, you'll get me in trouble!**

**-X-X-X-**

Sally opened her eyes. Where she was, she had no idea. It was a concrete room, complete with a small cot, and end table with a bowl of water on it. How delightful. Water would help the hunger pains that were cramping her stomach!

Sally lay back on the cot, trying to remember what happened. She had teepeed a house with Dib. She fell into a garden gnome. The whole lot of them attacked them both. Dib had been knocked unconscious. She was thrown into a large hole. And here she was.

Her blue makeup had long since faded away. Her false eyelashes were falling off and her drawn-on stitches were slightly blurred. The braids in her hair were loose and tousled, so she spent a good two hours trying to fix the mess that was her long crimson hair.

Once her red hair was again down on her shoulders, she sat back, hugging her knees. What would happen to her now? Had the two of them been caught, and now she was in some sort of police cell? Or had her grandmother forced her father to put her in another mental hospital, and the past few days had been a blur because of the drugs?

A sound made Sally jump, causing her to nick her finger on the sharp edge of the cot. She cursed to herself and tried to stop the small flow of blood from the small cut. Whoever made this cot certainly didn't think about the safety of the user. She put the bleeding finger in her mouth, sucking the blood from it.

The source of the noise had come from a door being opened. She never expected the person who came into the room.

"Zim?" she asked, surprised.

"Yes, it is I, Zim!" The green kid looked at her, and Sally could feel herself squirming under his gaze. She hated being stared at like that. It made her feel self-conscious, and she realized she had not showered, brushed her teeth, or washed her face for who knows how long. She could've been here for days, or just a few hours.

"How long have I been here?" she asked.

"About seven hours," Zim informed her. "You were trespassing on my property." There was a bit of coldness in his voice. Sally cringed, the effect of guilt weighing down on her. Didn't Dib tell her this was some old guy's house? Did he lie to her?

A loud, growling stomach filled the room, and Sally bit her lip, blushing. "Um, sorry," she mumbled. How embarrassing!

**-X-X-X-**

Zim looked at her. He knew his stare was hard, but he could not let her know that he actually cared about her. He knew about her condition, one that the humans called "schizophrenia." He hoped that she would assume that the whole lawn gnome incident was just a hallucination. He had stayed up throughout that night studying the mental illness.

Another thing that worried him was the amount of lithium in Sally's blood. Surely that couldn't be healthy. For a human. Lithium was an abundant material amongst the Irkens, and it was often used for jewelry and decorative purposes. On Earth, though, it would not last long at all exposed to the open. And it was even mildly poisonous to the humans. How Sally's body could stand it flowing through her veins, Zim had no clue. Maybe she'd developed a tolerance to it over time, and she needed more and more to keep her stable.

He was not surprised to hear the loud sound coming from her stomach. Sally was underweight. One hint was that she was very thin and gangly, and that was because she did not eat much. Most likely because of the lithium. The thought of that stuff in his own system was enough to make Zim's insides churn.

"Sorry," she muttered. There was a small flush on her pale cheeks. Zim's mouth twitched with the urge to smile. She actually looked kind of... cute like that.

"Hungry?" he asked.

"A little." Sally stepped down off the cot, straighten out her patchwork dress. She had undone the braids in her hair, letting it flow marvelously down her shoulders. Zim wished Irken females possessed hair like Sally's. He was quite fond of the color red.

"Come with me," Zim said, walking towards the door. Sally followed closely behind, for fear of being left in that cold, concrete room.

Zim led her to a kitchen. It was a normal-sized kitchen, not as big as her own. But she highly doubted Zim's parents defended people like Samuel L. Jackson in court. That's why her father was not home at the moment.

"Gir!" Zim said. In a flash, a green and black dog appeared out of nowhere.

"Yes, master!" it said.

"See that girl?" Zim asked, pointing to Sally. The dog nodded. "She's hungry. Make her some food."

"I'm making BACON!" the thing yelled. Sally clutched her ears.

"Could I just have a grapefruit or something?" she asked. "I'm a vegetarian."

"SALAD!" the dog screeched. It pushed Sally back into a chair beside the kitchen table. She sat perfectly still, watching the little thing set to work on preparing a salad.

Zim sat across the table from her. He watched Sally as she tried to fix her false eyelashes until she finally grew frustrated and ripped them off. Her eyes started to water, twitching slightly.

"Do you have a trashcan?" she asked. Zim nodded and pointed to it. Sally hopped up and threw the makeup artifacts away, swiftly sitting back down. "So, how did I get here?"

"I found you in my yard last night," Zim explained. "You were unconscious on the ground, so I brought you inside and put you in my room to wait until you woke up."

Sally looked down. Had she just been hallucinating about the lawn gnomes? Maybe she just fell over one and the rest was just a dream in her unconscious mind. How could she know? She hadn't taken lithium in quite a few hours. It could have been either possibility.

"LETTUCE!" the dog said, throwing the plate of salad in front of Sally. (Ha ha, salad, Sally! ... I'll shut up now.) Sally gladly accepted the fork it handed her. It had been almost two days since she'd last eaten, and without the lithium to keep her from her appetite, she was frighteningly hungry.

**-X-X-X-**

Dib crawled through the air duct, fuming. Zim had locked him away in his lab after finding him sprawled out, unconscious on his lawn. He was worried about Sally, scared that Zim might be doing something unspeakable. That thought only made him crawl faster.

He could hear voices coming from the left. He recognized Sally's soft, silky voice and hear Zim's raspy alto. Sally didn't sound scared at all. In fact, she sounded comfortable.

Once he found his way out of the base, Dib knocked on Zim's door. He had taken down security so Sally wouldn't get suspicious. It seemed like the alien was actually making a real effort to appear normal in front of her.

The door opened, revealing Zim with Gir at his side. "What do you want, _Dib_?" he asked irritably.

"I came to get Sally. Her dad's coming home soon."

Sally stood up from her chair, having heard what had been said. "Hey," she said, smiling at Dib. He smiled back, throwing Zim a nasty look when Sally had turned away. The invader returned it, pure hatred in his eyes. Somehow, that look made Dib feel good. He was triumphant. Zim would not get to Sally on his watch.

For some reason, Sally didn't ask questions about where Dib went that night after she'd supposedly fallen unconscious. Dib had heard Zim's excuse for what she was doing in his house.

"Want to meet up at my house after you shower?" Dib asked.

"Sure," Sally said. She smiled at him. He smiled as well, happy to see her. He thought Zim would be running tests on her brain or something.

He walked Sally to her house. Once she had gone through the front door, he walked to his own home. Gaz was watching television and playing her Game Slave at the same time. He never knew how she could keep her attention on both things at once, but somehow she did it.

"Where were you last night?" she asked. "You didn't come home."

_Zim was holding me hostage in his secret base with Sally locked up somewhere in the front of the place, but I managed to escape and get both of us out._ Yeah, she wouldn't want to hear that. "I stayed the night with a friend."

Gaz didn't question him any farther. She just shrugged her shoulders and continued to play her game. Dib climbed up the stairs to get his shower.

**-X-X-X-**

Sally stepped out of her shower in a cloud of steam, wrapping her body in a white towel. She looked in the mirror, adjusting her wet red hair and getting out the blow drier. Once she was completely clean and ready, she put on some clothes and shoes.

Ringing the doorbell at Dib's house, Sally began to fiddle with the crystal necklace that she always wore, the one her mother had given her before she died. The crystal itself was black with spots of grey in it, and it was held in place by a silver ringlet and tied around her neck in black twine.

Dib opened the door and Sally went inside. Gaz uttered a small "Hey," and continued with her game. Sally was actually one of the very few people Dib knew that she actually liked. At least she wasn't crazy.

"Son, who was at the door?"

"Just a friend, dad," Dib said. Professor Membrane appeared from the kitchen.

"Ah, so _you're _the infamous Sally Lacrymosa I've heard about. I did some work with your father a while back. You were about two feet tall, so I honestly doubt you would remember anything about that," he gave a hearty chuckle and went back into the kitchen.

"He'll be in his lab for the rest of the day," Dib told her.

"My dad's coming home later," Sally said. "He's been in Los Angeles for the past two days."

**-X-X-X-**

"You're real name's Sarah?" Dib asked, laughing.

"Shut up!" Sally told him. "Sarah Claudia Lacrymosa. Claudia was my aunt's name. I hated being called Sarah, so my dad started calling me Sally when I was three."

"I see," Dib murmured. He picked up a PDA and started to write something.

"Whatcha doin?" Sally asked with a mischievous grin on her face. Dib hid the PDA from her view.

"None of your business," he said cheekily. Sally smiled evilly. She lunged for the piece of technology, but Dib held it out of her reach. He laughed at her efforts to take the object out of his hands. Soon, the two were rolling around on the floor, playfully fighting over the PDA for no reason.

They stopped laughing when the door opened, revealing a surprised Gaz. They then realized the position they were in. Dib was practically on top of Sally, holding the PDA over her head. Sally blushed as Gaz took a deep breath.

"To save you both from utter embarrassment, I'm going to pretend this never happened." She looked at Dib. "You are so lucky I'm not telling dad."

Once the door was closed, Dib and Sally stayed frozen for a few moments. Then, Sally plucked the PDA from Dib's hands. He remained still, a look of quiet surprise on his face.

"Let's see what you wrote down here," Sally said, touching the screen. "Hmm, let's see. Tell Sally that I..."

She stopped mid-sentence, and looked at Dib. He blushed and looked at the floor. She looked back at the PDA.

"Tell Sally that I'm in love with her."

She looked back at him. He met her gaze, a small smile on his lips. "What can I say?" he asked. "I'm in love with her."

**-X-X-X-**

**There you go, loves! It probably sucks because I have some kind of writer's block and it sucks some kind of donkey balls. Please review!**


	8. Wishes and Scones

**Sorry for the lack of updates, but we've had Benchmarks in school and I've had a lot of homework this week. But I love all the reviews I've been getting, and even more would be simply lovely.**

**-X-X-X-**

**Wishes and Scones**

**-X-X-X-**

"You know, you weren't really supposed to find out yet," Dib said, a slightly pink tinge to his cheeks. Sally looked back down at the PDA, her lips silently mouthing the words, still trying to comprehend whether she was imagining it or not. "I do love you, though. You might not feel the same, but–"

He was cut off abruptly by Sally's lips gently touching his own. The feeling that had exploded in his chest was triggered by the gentle feeling of her lips on his, and he loved every moment of it. Sally's hands on his face only made his heart beat louder. His hands rested on her hips, pulling her closer to him. He felt her body rise and fall with every excited breath. Dib swore that he could hear both of their hearts beating in unison. When the two pulled apart after what seemed like pleasant hours, Sally laid her head on Dib's chest listening to his heart. Dib gently ran his fingers through her long, red hair.

"Oh, and by the way," Sally said, pecking him on the lips, "I love you too."

**-X-X-X-**

**Three Years Later**

As Dib looked back on the past couple of years, he recalled them as being the best of his life. He had grown tall, lean, and agile. His normal wardrobe had changed as well. Instead of his normal blue shirt with the neutral face on it, he now wore a black shirt with a red heart on it that said "Hugs not Drugs," under his black trench coat.

Sally, on the other hand, had only grown more beautiful. She had cut her hair to the middle of her neck, and it was usually curly or French braided. It now had light green streaks of woven into its red depths. She had a nearly perfect full figure, though she was still tall and thin. Over time, she had become more outgoing and was not that shy anymore. But she still had not gotten over her fear of large crowds. And her schizophrenia often showed its side effects in her nightmares, sometimes producing horrifying images. Dib had spent many nights getting a call from Sally pleading him to come sleep with her. She never did need to plead, however. Dib would have done it without a reason.

From the first day he saw the two holding hands, Zim was murderous with rage. He hated Dib. Hated him with his entire being. And that hate only grew every time he saw the two together. Sally was supposed to be _his_, not Dib's! Yes, he had become better friends with Sally, but it wasn't what he wanted. He was just a friend to her, but he wanted to be so much more. He loved her with all his heart, but she could not be his and it was all Dib's fault. And Zim hated him for it.

"I don't get the ending to this movie," Dib said. "The plane engine falls in his room and kills him?"

"Yeah!" Sally said, as if it were obvious. "Donnie goes back in time and lets the jet engine fall on him and kill him so he can save everyone. Gretchen will live because she never got to meet Donnie and go to Roberta Sparrow's house and get run over by a car. Donnie's mom and little sister won't get on that plane and die because it crashed. Frank won't get shot and die because Donnie won't be there to shoot him. Nyuhr!" she said, slapping her hand on her chest. "Besides, the world would've been swallowed up by the Tangent Universe anyway if he hadn't done it."

Dib looked at her with a confused look on his face. "You've watched this movie way too many times!" he said, folding his arms across his chest.

"No, you just don't think hard enough about it to understand. The concept is quite simple." Sally stood up and took the disk out of the DVD player. She put it back in the case that read _Donnie Darko _(best movie ever) in bold letters.

"Why can't we watch something simple, like Napoleon Dynamite?" Dib asked.

"Because I've seen that way too many fucking times, and so have you." She kissed his cheek. "Join me outside, love?" faking a European accent.

"Why of course, darling," Dib said, conjuring a Transylvanian accent.

"Wow, that was creepy," Sally said. "Like, Dracula creepy."

"Yeah, but you like it!" Dib yelled. He grabbed Sally up in his arms. She giggled as he kissed her hair.

"Come on, I feel like a walk." Sally took Dib's hand and flashed her beautiful smile. She had long since figured out that Dib would simply melt into a puddle when she did that.

The moon was hanging in the night sky. He could see the moonlight in Sally's eyes, bringing out their silvery color beautifully. Something about nighttime just brought out Sally's personal beauty, and you could see it from miles away.

They always went to one place. A cove, by the lake. The entrance was very complicated and it was hard to get into. Sally had found it one day when she was looking for somewhere secluded after first moving. Dib followed Sally inside. The small cove was beautiful in its own way. Secluded, precious, untouched by any other forms of life. It was their own place.

He loved talking to Sally. Every conversation he had with her was intelligent, and she could always make him think. She was pretty much the only one who listened to his theories on the paranormal and his talk about his latest studies. Usually they were on Zim. When he had first told her Zim was an alien, she didn't doubt. In this small town, people were too accepting. But in places where Sally had lived, (Helsinki Finland, New York City, New Orleans Louisiana, and Dublin Ireland,) you noticed everyone when pretty much everyone was a stranger. And it helped to have a sense of judgment. In his eyes, Dib would've been better off living in a bigger city.

Sally always thought about things slightly different from Dib. She always had a logical debate for something. Sometimes she went too deep in thought for her own good. Often Dib had to shake her from the depths of her own mind. She had once asked him if he thought that one could really see into the future, if they could see their own path through life. She questioned many things. The existence of an actual God, the theory of time, and sometimes existence itself. Every time she asked him a question he could not answer, he would always smile and say, "I haven't exactly found the meaning of life yet, babe." She would smile dreamily and continue to be immersed in her thoughts.

That night in the cove, he held Sally in his arms, feeling sleep gently come to take him. As Sally felt his chest rise and fall in rhythmic motions, she gently kissed the corner of his mouth before resting her head on his chest and gently falling asleep with him.

**-X-X-X-**

"Are you going to buy something or not, Zim?" Sally said, giggling. Zim looked at her with an irritated look on his face.

"Give me time!" he said. With a few more seconds of looking, he finally chose a chocolate chip scone and took out a wallet Sally had given to him for Christmas.

"Two fifty," Sally said. Zim gave her exact change and licked his lips as she handed him the scone. He'd grown quite fond of Earth pastries.

"I can't wait to get off my shift," Sally said. She worked at a small coffee house called _The Jitterbug._ What a jitterbug was, Zim had not the slightest clue. But they made damn good scones.

"Why do you need a job?" Zim asked. "Your father seems wealthy enough as it is."

"That's not the point, Zim," Sally explained. "If I depend totally on him now, how am I going to survive in the real world?"

Zim shrugged. Sally had an independent nature, and she loved this job. The small coffee house had a piano, and other humans came with their "laptops" to work in a quiet, peaceful place. Poetry nights were every Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday. And the free pound of coffee she got every week wasn't a very bad bonus either.

Zim watched as her eyes closed, the dark lashes splayed out upon her white skin. Yes, he had an eyelash fetish. And Sally just happened to have beautiful eyes. If only she could realize how beautiful she was, and what it did to him.

At long last, her shift was over. She walked with Zim back to her house, planning on sitting by the fire with a warm cup of coffee. "My brother's visiting for Christmas," she said happily.

"Edward's back already?"

"Yes." Edward was Sally's older brother. He had majored in linguistics in college and had since been traveling to third world countries to teach English to children. "Dad's home too."

Zim breathed the cold December air. It was nearly five, and he hoped Gir would behave long enough for him to stay at Sally's house for a bit. He had grown fond of her cat, Wishes. She was a lot cuter and cuddlier than Gir.

Sally's father, Victor, was a tall, thin man. He had black hair and dark brown eyes that looked almost black. He had a long face with pointed features. He had always been a very shy, nervous person, and how he managed to be a successful lawyer was a mystery. He stuttered a lot, and was very clumsy. Edward was a spitting image of his father, by far more outgoing. He was twenty-three years old and had passed college quickly. The boy had brains.

"Dad, I'm home!" Sally called. Her father walked swiftly down the steps to meet his daughter. Victor gave her a warm hug and smiled at Zim.

"Do come in," he said, his soft voice cracking slightly. His nerves had be rattled when Edward came home unannounced.

"Where's Ed?" Sally asked.

"He's up in his room, unpacking his bags."

Sally ran up the stairs. Wishes ribbed against Zim's leg, mewing for him to pick her up. He happily did so, stroking the cat's soft black fur.

**-X-X-X-**

**Thank you for reading, loves. I understand that some of you who read this story do not like it. Well, if you did not like it, then don't flame me about it. It's not my fault you don't like it and I'd appreciate it if you didn't bitch to me about it. I've already had to put up with my good friend Keira getting bashed on Quizilla. If you do have something that you don't like about the story, then message me personally instead of putting it in a review so other people can see your attempt to make me look bad. I will discuss it with you and see if it is within reason of fixing. If I don't see a problem with it, then I will apologize that I won't be able to and thank you for addressing the problem. It's called CONSTRUCTIVE CRITISM. Flaming is not CONSTRUCTIVE CRITISM. Sorry you had to hear me bitch, but I've had a long day and I've had a pint of blood taken so I may not be thinking straight. Thank you for reading, loves!**


	9. Ginger

**Yes, it has been a while since I've updated. But finals are coming up and I don't feel like failing the seventh grade, so most of my time has been spent studying. Writer's block has also been another cause. I've been stuck for a while, but my favorite game of all time, Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, has helped me tremendously. Zelda is love, and you all must worship her!**

**-X-X-X-**

**Ginger**

**-X-X-X-**

Cold. Icy cold. It surrounded her, making her breath ultimately stop. Water in her mouth, her nose, clouding her vision. The chill of it made her nerves freeze and her muscles tense, trying to keep out the cold. But cold always had a funny way of seeping into anything it wanted to, no matter how hard it was being kept out. It seeped into her blood, her bones, her heart. Her very core was frozen as the water forced itself down her throat. She closed her mouth, but the water was still there, nowhere else to go. She frantically tried to claw her way out of the water, to the surface, but the icy depths never seemed to end. She was getting nowhere, losing precious oxygen. Her lungs were crying for the sweet air that must have been somewhere close, as they could feel it calling to them. She longed for the crisp feeling of oxygen entering her bloodstream once again, not for the sheer luxury, but for the sake of her very own life. And, suddenly, she could see it! The surface, the air her lungs were screaming for! She savagely clawed through the chilling water in a mad haste for the life giving substance. But, her hopes evaporated as she felt her hands slide against something even colder than the water. She pounded on the clear barrier separating her from the precious surface. No! The water was frozen over! Now she would surely drown! She felt her hands pounding against the ice, not of her own will but of her body's instincts for survival. The hot tears were lost in the ocean of cold around her as they escaped from her equally chilling eyes. Her oxygen was nearly gone; she was losing time. She nearly cried out as she felt herself sinking again. Down, down, down into the cold, black depths. A bubble of oxygen-less air escaped her mouth as she screamed, but the sound was drowned out by the icy water into a shriek no one would ever hear. Silvery bits and pieces teased the edge of her eyesight. Her vision going black. Suffocating. She was drowning. The strength that she had used to frantically swim was gone from her limbs, and she could do nothing but sink. Her eyes didn't even close. They remained open as she slowly sank into the freezing depths, their chilling silvery green gaze growing colder by the second. A single, agonizingly cold tear was enveloped by the water as the fire in her body went out. She was gone.

**-X-X-X-**

"Sally!" Dib yelled, shaking her. "Wake up! Sally!"

Sally immediately sat straight up, her breathing jagged and her heart pounding. She looked around, expecting to see nothing but the black depth and water to enter her airway. But she was in the open air, a frantic Dib looking down at her with fear for her in his eyes. He put his arms around, making her heart slowly return to its normal rate.

"I was drowning," she murmured. "It was so real. I... I can still feel it. The water was cold, and the surface was frozen over." She hugged herself, as if trying to force the cold out of her body. "I didn't make it out."

"It was just a dream," Dib told her. Even if it was, Sally could still feel the cold in her blood. The darkness that filled their cave wasn't helping her forget the black of the waters, either. She felt dizzy and lightheaded.

"I want to go home." Dib looked into her eyes. He could see fear in them. Sally's nightmares had been getting worse ever since skool got out for winter break. They had retreated to their little cavern by the lake to sleep that night, Sally hoping that the tranquility of the small cave would be enough to soothe her nightmares. But, it did not.

Once Sally had said goodbye to Dib outside of her window, she lithely climbed up the trellis that held nearly dead rose vines. She quietly slipped into her bedroom and examined herself in her mirror. She was paler, thinner, and much more lifeless than she had appeared before.

She nearly jumped out of her skin when she heard a knock on the door. "It's Edward," came a small whisper from the hallway. Sally unlocked her door, and her brother stood on the other side, examining the changes in her appearance.

"What do you want?" she asked.

"I'm worried about you. Can I come in?"

"Sure." Sally opened the door wider to allow her older brother to walk in. He gazed fondly at an old family portrait that she kept hanging on her wall.

"You really miss her, don't you?"

Sally sighed. "Yeah."

She often tried not to think about her mother. It always made her sad. Victoria Lacrymosa was one of the most beautiful, caring, calm people Sally knew. She shared her silvery green eyes, wavy red hair, and doll-like facial features. But, she could never obtain the porcelain doll beauty her mother had. Victoria had always been the beautiful, china doll, and Sally had always been the sweet little ragdoll. Her mother had always smelled of ginger, but she hated to bake. Every time she tried to cook, she ended up nearly burning down the kitchen or charring whatever she was preparing beyond edibility. But the sweet ginger smell was always there.

"Why did she have to leave us, Edward?"

Edward sighed, and sat on the bed next to his little sister. He put his arm around her. "She didn't want to leave, Sally. You know that."

"I am not saying she wanted to," Sally stated. "I'm only asking why she had to." She buried her face into Edward's shoulder.

"I can't answer that," he whispered. "But you know how when someone close to you dies? And you can still sense the little things they used to do? Like tucking the comforter under your mattress at night. And reminding you to eat your vegetables at dinner." There was a far off look in his eyes, remembering the times their mother was still there to be their mother. "You even miss the things that annoyed you. Like when she would absolutely refuse to stop patting down your hair. And when she bundled you up too much when it snowed out."

Sally smiled, remembering all of the things Edward mentioned. He'd always had wild, wiry black hair and her mother was always messing with it, trying to get it to behave. And the way she'd always come in a night, after you were sleeping, and tuck the blankets underneath the mattress. Sally had to admit... After her mother was gone, she always ate her vegetables at dinner. Always. Ever since her mother had died, her father was afraid of nearly everything. He could hardly go outside without jumping at every noise. It was like he had lost his protector, his reason to be brave.

"I miss her so much, Ed," she whispered, tears streaming down her snow white cheeks. Edward hugged her tighter.

"Me too." Tears glistened on both of their pale faces. They silently cried, holding each other, remembering the sweet memories of the person that had meant so much to them. And while they cried, the sweet smell of ginger wafted through the air, bringing soft comfort with it.

**-X-X-X-**

"Sally?" her father asked. She turned to see him with the phone in his hands. "C-could I ask you a q-question?"

"Yes," she answered.

"Your c-cousin Kim," he began, "Had a baby a few months ago. She c-can't take care of it. They want to give her to us."

"What does this have to do with me?" Sally asked. She already knew they were giving the baby to her family.

"Well, I was w-wondering maybe you could take care of the baby while I'm g-gone on business this week. I'll be back three days before Christmas, so it shouldn't be too long."

Sally nodded. She loved baby Emily, and she knew how to handle children. "I guess I'll have to."

"Well, they'll be here in about an hour with her." He gave her a small smile and disappeared back into the breakfast nook.

It wasn't that Kim was financially unable to care for Emily, she was just very sick and couldn't risk spreading her disease to her baby. Emily's father had died a few months earlier, and the doctors believe that the grief of his death is what triggered Kim's illness. Sally's family was the only one willing to take Emily in.

Just as her father had predicted, a car pulled up in their driveway about forty-five minutes later. There were two people inside, a man and a woman. The woman held a small bundle of blankets, which Sally assumed was Emily. She walked outside into the snow to meet them. Although she had no jacket on, she didn't feel cold.

"Hello," the woman said when Sally opened the door. "I'm Annette. Are you the child's new legal guardian?"

"No," Sally said, "My father is."

"Oh, is your father home at the moment?"

"Sally?" Victor called. "Is that them?"

"Yes!" she called back. Victor walked over to her, jumping slightly at the kind-faced woman in the doorway.

"Victor Lacrymosa?"

"Y-yes, that's me." Annette handed Emily to him.

"If you could just come and fill out some paperwork we have in the truck," Annette said.

"Certainly. Sally, would you take Emily?"

Sally accepted the baby from her father and cradled her in her arms, smiling. She was not fond of most small children, but Emily was like her own daughter. She gently brushed a stray black curl from the baby's face, causing her pretty blue eyes to open. Emily smiled at seeing Sally, giggling cutely.

"Hi there, precious," Sally murmured. "Welcome home."

**-X-X-X-**

"Who's baby is she?" Dib asked quizzically. Sally looked at him venomously.

"She's my cousin's, Dib," she said in a flat tone. "Did you really think that she was mine?"

"Just making sure," he said.

"You know how we've never had sex?"

Dib huffed. "Yeah!" he said, crossing his arms.

"That's another piece of evidence that she's not mine." Sally picked Emily up out of her cradle. The little girl looked about the unfamiliar room, making a small whining noise when she saw Dib.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"She doesn't know you," Sally told him. "It'll take a few days but she'll eventually get used to you."

Dib looked at the bundle in Sally's arms. Emily was a sweet baby. She had a head full of black curls, and eyes that were unlike any blue he'd ever seen. Her skin was fair, like Sally's. He watched as she softly hushed Emily, giving her a pacifier.

"You seem like you know what you're doing."

"When Emily was born I promised Kim that I would take care of her if anything happened."

Dib nods, slowly. He looks up at her with a thoughtful look in his eyes. "Tell me about that nightmare you had the other night."

Sally looked scared suddenly. "I really don't want to talk about it."

"Please." Dib sits next to her and puts an arm around her shoulders.

"I was drowning," she says quietly. "There was nothing but black. The water was freezing cold and the surface was frozen over. I tried to break through the ice, but it was too thick. I was suffocating. There was no way out, so I stopped trying to break through. I sank to the bottom and... And I died." She buried her face into Dib's shoulder. He stroked her hair. "I actually thought I was getting better, but... Now it's just getting worse."

"It'll be all right," Dib murmured. "I promise."

**-X-X-X-**

**Yay! Please update, dears!**


	10. Goodnight, Mommy

**Yay! Another update! But, may I please have more reviews? Oh well, here you are, sweethearts.**

**-X-X-X-**

**Goodnight, Mommy**

**-X-X-X-**

"I'll now allow it, Victor!"

"Maudeline, please, listen to me!"

"I'll not allow that child in the same house as her! She'll hurt Emily!"

"She'll do no such thing!"

"Grandma, don't do it!" Edward pleaded. There were tears in his eyes, but he refused to let them fall. "It's nearly Christmas for God's sake!"

"That does not matter! She's a danger to herself and that baby girl. She needs help."

"She's getting help, Maudeline!" Victor shouted. "She's sees two psychiatrists and the school counselor! She takes fifty milligrams of lithium ever four hours! What more do you want, woman?!"

"Don't speak to me in that tone!" Sally's grandmother shrieked. "I want her getting proper help, boy! The poor thing can hardly look in the mirror without seeing something that isn't there! I don't want to think about what she could do to Emily."

"She wouldn't look at Emily if it would make her cry!" Victor shouted. He was losing his temper. "She's not dangerous! Sure, she has a temper, but she's not crazy!"

"Yes she is, Victor." Maudeline's voice softened. "She's schizophrenic, lad. That's a mental illness." She stood up from her chair.

"Grandma, please," Edward begged. "Just let her stay for Christmas."

"She'll be sent to an asylum. And that's final."

Maudeline slammed the door behind her. Edward sniffed, wiping his eyes. He looked at his father. "She can't do this, can she?"

"Your grandmother controls what happens to Emily. In her eyes, Sally is a threat to her. Therefore she can decide where Sally goes."

"No!" Edward screamed. "You're a lawyer, goddamn it! There has to be something we can do!"

"There isn't, Edward." Footsteps ran up the stairs. Victor's face turned paler. "Oh dear – Sally, wait!"

Edward followed his father to his sister's room. He could hear Sally crying and screaming that she wouldn't go. Their father had to hold her to get her shrieks to cease. She cried into his chest. Edward's heart was breaking, and he could tell his father's was too. Their family was being torn apart even more.

"I won't go there," Sally whispered to her father. Edward couldn't take it anymore. He left the room before his baby sister could see him cry. "I won't."

"Sally, you have to go," Victor sobbed. "You have to. There is no staying here. Your grandmother will make you go."

"I hate her!" Sally cried. "I hate her, and I know she hates me! She hates me because I'm imperfect!"

"She doesn't hate you, Sally, she doesn't." He cradled her. "She's only trying to help.

"But she's not helping me!" Sally was hysterical. Victor took her hand.

"I'm sorry, dear." He wiped the tears off of his face. "I really am."

**-X-X-X-**

A tear silently fell down her pale cheek as her eyes stared straight ahead, appearing as though they saw nothing. Chilling winds whipped her hair around her face. She didn't feel it. Her thoughts prevented her from feeling or seeing reality. Soon, she would no longer be a part of society.

Sally stood outside the doors of the asylum. She had not been allowed to bring anything with her, except Scarlet, her little stuffed dolphin. She had screamed, kicked, bitten at the people who held her down. They could not give her and sedatives until she was submitted to the hospital. Her father had cried. Edward wouldn't come out of his room. Dib had tried to follow the car down the road. Zim stared wordlessly, shaking his head and denying that Sally was going anywhere.

In the end, she had no one left. Gaz chased after Dib and held him back from running into traffic. Zim never did see Sally come back that day. Edward never did come out of his room. Victor just watched through tear filled eyes as the car left his house. A nurse had taken Scarlet away from Sally and told her she would not get her back until they were sure she was completely safe. She screamed at the woman, saying they would rip her up and tear out her stuffing, shouting that Scarlet was the only thing she had left of her mother. Only when the woman explained to her that they'd just use an X-ray machine did Sally stop screaming. Still, she was reluctant to give Scarlet to the hands of someone else.

Her room was white. A pane of glass replaced the wall facing the hallway. To Sally, it looked just like a mirror, but she knew someone on the other side could see into the room. A metal bed sat in the corner, with a little white table next to it. There was a little bathroom connected to the room, with a small sink, toilet, and shower inside. There was no metal at all.

A white paper bracelet was put on her wrist. It had her first and last name, age, diagnosis, and doctor on it. The nurse told her to change into her new clothes. White pants and long sleeved shirt with socks. The asylum would be providing the rest of her wardrobe. A woman returned Scarlet to her, and Sally held the stuffed animal close.

Sally cried. She hadn't cried so hard since she was two. She felt like a small child, so why not cry like one? She clutched Scarlet to her chest, her tears falling on the little dolphin's nose. She cried for Dib, she cried for her father, for her mother. She wanted some form of comfort, someone who had not wanted her damned to this hell. She called out for Zim and Edward.

Nearly an hour later, Sally's eyes were swollen and red. Her chest ached and her throat burned. Her back heaved with every breath. Sally curled up on the small bed with Scarlet nestled into her arms. She nuzzled her face into the pillow. It smelled like ginger.

A soft hand caressed her cheek. She could feel little butterfly kisses on her face and hands. "Sleep, sweetheart," a voice murmured. Sally opened her eyes. She smiled tranquilly at the face smiling back at her. She felt calm. "Close your eyes, dear." The hand sifted through Sally's hair, braiding it. She could hear the voice softly humming. Her eyes slowly closed, and her exhausted and aching body relaxed. She could feel herself about to fall asleep, but two words escaped her lips before she did.

"Goodnight, mommy..."

**-X-X-X-**

"Please, you have to let me see her!"

"I'm sorry, young man, but Miss Lacrymosa will not be able to accept visitors for the next few days."

"It won't take long, I promise!"

"Young man, I can't allow it!" The nurse gave him a stern look. Dib looked as if he were about to cry.

"Can't I at least look at her?"

The nurse rolled her eyes. She looked at her charts briefly. "Miss Lacrymosa is in room 149. The window on the wall only looks in, so she won't be able to see you or know you're there. Don't get any ideas, the door is locked and the room is soundproof." Dib took off ran down the hallways looking for Sally's room. He nearly missed it but back up to look into the huge window.

Sally lay on her bed. She was asleep, but someone could easily tell she had been crying. Yet, there was a smile on her face. Scarlet was clutched to her chest. Her hair was pulled back from her face in a braid. Dib put and hand on the window, his nose pressed against the glass. Tears welled up in his eyes. When would she leave this horrible place and come back to him? He would come to see her as soon as they allowed her visitors; you could bet your life on that. But she would not go back to school with him again. Other people would ask what had happened to her, and he would lie to protect her. He wouldn't be able to hold her, to kiss her again without someone watching on the other side of the glass.

What if something was wrong with her and someone recognizing it would make it surface? Would she try to hurt Dib if he tried to hold her? Would she push him away, saying that he put her there with everyone else? Would she hate him? He cried, the thought of losing her too much to bear. For nearly two hours he stared through that window and watched her, fearing that this would be the only way he could see her at ease.

At some point, Gaz came to get him. When they got home, she sat with him on the couch while he mindlessly stared at the television screen. She even put her GS2 away.

"Dib," Gaz said. He looked at her. She smiled sadly. "Things will get better for her, and for you. Just wait."

Dib smiled. He knew Gaz never really hated him, it was just that she didn't like talking that much. And when she did talk, it was to tell someone else to shut up. But she was his only sister, and he loved her. Even if she did give him death threats sometimes.

"Thanks, Gaz," he murmured. "Thanks a lot." Gaz smiled.

After it got dark, Dib ordered pizza and popped some popcorn. Gaz put in her favorite movie, Monty Python and the Holy Grail, and Dib had no problem with watching the quirky British film over and over again. Gaz even let him have the last slice of pizza before getting up and making two huge bowls of rocky road ice cream.

Things may not have looked their best at that moment, but Dib was glad he at least had his little sister there to help make things easier.

**-X-X-X-**

**Ah, first update in a while. Not that long, but I'm glad I got this finished before I go off to band camp! Yeah, like, one time at band camp... Don't make fun of me, it's kick ass good fun! Please review, dears, I beg of you with all of my black hole of a heart! Pretty please? puppy eyes With sugar on top?**


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